Before entering into a job as a tourism manager, it is important to understand the role, the main responsibilities, and the types of employers who hire tourism managers. In this post, you will find all of this information and access important tips that can help you boost your career.

Table of Contents:

The Tourism Industry Explained

The tourism industry describes all businesses and organizations providing tourist services or products. It comprises various sectors, such as accommodation, transportation, entertainment, food and beverages, and tourism services, including travel agents and tour operators.

In “Tourism Industry; Everything You Need to Know About Tourism”, you will be able to learn much more about the tourism industry, its benefits, how it is defined, and which sectors are included.

All You Need to Know About Tourism Management

Before embarking on a career as a tourism manager, you will need to take steps so that you can fully understand the requirements of the role, what your day-to-day working life will be like, and some of the key concepts that surround tourism management, including revenue management and the growing role of modern technology.

Read “Tourism Management: All You Need to Know About Tourism,” and you will be able to find much more information, which can help ensure you have a rounded knowledge of the topic.

What is a Tourism Manager?

Technically, a tourism manager is a name given to any management professional working in a business connected to the tourism industry. This includes general managers, who take on overall responsibility for ensuring that day-to-day operations run smoothly, and individual departmental managers within businesses.

With that being said, the position of tourism manager is also often used to describe individuals who are directly responsible for the management of local travel and tourism services too.

What Kind of Employers Hire Tourism Managers?

Any employer operating within the tourism industry may hire a tourism manager, including hotels and other forms of accommodation, restaurants, bars, transportation companies, and local attractions, such as museums or landmarks. It may also include travel agencies, tour companies, and events companies.

Tourism managers are often associated more directly with local travel and tourism services, helping attract visitors, managing promotional messaging, and more. In these cases, the list of employers is likely to include everything from tourist boards and wildlife trusts to local authorities and national parks.

What Are the Responsibilities & Duties of a Tourism Manager?

The precise responsibilities and duties you must undertake as a tourism manager will depend on the sector of the tourism industry you are employed in and the nature of the business or organization you work for. Nevertheless, some common responsibilities include managing budgets, writing reports, and supervising staff.

You may also be expected to oversee day-to-day tasks and activities, take responsibility for hiring and firing staff, provide some level of customer service, and deliver some form of training and/or coaching for employees. You will also likely need to make presentations, attend events, and implement strategic changes.

What Skills & Qualifications Does a Tourism Manager Need?

To succeed as a tourism manager, you must possess strong leadership and communication skills because the role will often involve supervising other staff members, providing instructions, and coordinating with other departments. You must also have excellent time management skills and working industry knowledge.

Regarding formal qualifications, obtaining a position as a tourism manager without having a university or college degree may be possible. Still, you will need to work your way up through the industry and have significant experience. Degrees related to business management, travel and tourism, and similar fields can be advantageous and help reduce the actual work experience you will require to secure a management job.

3 Tips to Get The Tourism Manager Job You Have Always Wanted

When it comes to actually securing the tourism manager job you have always wanted, there are several things you can do to boost your chances, from perfecting your application and interview technique to making sure you use the best possible channels. With this in mind, the tips below should help to boost your prospects.

1. The Best Job Boards to Find a Tourism Manager Job

Job boards are one of the most popular and effective ways to seek out travel jobs or careers online, so you should use them. Many employers turn to these channels to advertise vacancies, and job boards focus on different aspects of tourism, from hospitality to aviation, to the cruise sector.

Read the article “Tourism Jobs: The Best Tourism Industry Job Boards for Your Career”, where you will find a list of popular tourism industry job boards organized according to the sectors they focus on.

2. Key Tips to Improve Your Job Application

The quality of your job application can be the deciding factor in whether or not you get the job you are looking for. To become a tourism manager, you will likely need the right education and training, build a great CV, perfect your interview technique, use personal branding techniques, and make the most of networking opportunities.

Check out “Tourism Careers: Tips to Find a Job in the Tourism Industry” for more information on the various steps you can take to improve your job applications and land the management job you are looking for.

3. Overview of Channels Offering Tourism Manager Jobs

When it comes to seeking out management jobs within the travel and tourism sector, you must make use of a variety of channels. After all, not all jobs will be posted on industry job boards, and you may instead need to check out company websites, social media pages, recruitment agency websites, and other sites.

Read “Tourism Management Jobs: List of Websites to Find Your Next Job,” and you will find a breakdown of some of the most important channels and platforms to use when looking for a tourism manager job online.

Overview of Channels to Seek Hospitality Jobs

Hospitality sector companies post openings on several websites and networks. For this reason, if you’re looking for a hospitality career, it’s crucial that you turn to a mix of these networks so that you don’t skip the perfect opportunity for your skillset and personal interests.

Check out “Hospitality Jobs: Overview of All Channels to Find Your Next Job” for an overview of some of the most popular and important channels you can use to find and apply for online jobs, including Hospitality Job Boards, Social Media Sites, Recruitment Agencies and Hotel Web Sites specialized in Hospitality.

Become a Tourism Manager By Studying a Tourism Course

The role of a tourism manager involves overseeing operations within a tourism business or organization. It is a senior position that requires an in-depth understanding of management concepts and the industry. For this reason, it is sometimes recommended that you study a tourism course before applying.

To learn more about what a tourism course can offer you, where you can find a relevant course, and what you might learn, read our “Tourism Course: A Complete Overview of Courses & Tourism Educators” post.

Before applying to become a tourism manager, it is beneficial to understand typical responsibilities and the sorts of employers who actually hire people for such a role. From there, using the tips provided, you can then not only find your ideal opportunity but also boost your chances of securing it too.

More Tips to Grow Your Business

Revfine.com is a knowledge platform for the hospitality & travel industry. Professionals use our insights, strategies and actionable tips to get inspired, optimise revenue, innovate processes and improve customer experience. You can find all hotel & hospitality tips in the categories Revenue Management, Marketing & Distribution, Hotel Operations, Staffing & Career, Technology and Software.

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This article is written by:

Martijn Barten

Hi, I am Martijn Barten, founder of Revfine.com. With 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, I specialize in optimizing revenue by combining revenue management with marketing strategies. I have successfully developed, implemented, and managed revenue management and marketing strategies for individual properties and multi-property portfolios.